How do I fix Fenix A320 INIT REQUEST not working in MSFS?
Fix Fenix A320 INIT REQUEST not working in MSFS by checking SimBrief, INIT A, aircraft power, route state and AIRAC data.
If Fenix A320 INIT REQUEST is not working in Microsoft Flight Simulator, first generate a fresh SimBrief OFP, confirm the correct SimBrief identifier in the Fenix EFB, and use INIT A before manually entering FROM/TO. Keep the aircraft properly powered and allow the datalink time to return; these checks resolve most failures.
How do I restore INIT REQUEST in the Fenix A320?
The reliable fix is to verify the dispatch source first, then retry the request from a clean INIT A page.
- Generate a fresh SimBrief OFP. INIT REQUEST retrieves the latest generated operational flight plan associated with your account. Merely editing or saving a planned flight may leave the previous OFP active, so regenerate it after changing the airports, route, aircraft or flight number.
- Verify the SimBrief identifier. Check the Fenix EFB or integration settings and enter the exact identifier requested. Depending on the installed Fenix build, the field may ask for a username or Pilot ID; do not substitute an email address or display name. Save the change and test whether the EFB can retrieve the OFP. If it cannot, our SimBrief ID and connection checklist covers the same account-level faults.
- Establish proper aircraft power. Use external power or the APU generator and allow the Fenix systems, EFB and MCDUs to initialise. Battery power alone is not a useful troubleshooting state. Full IRS alignment is not required merely to request the plan.
- Open the first INIT page. Use
INIT Abefore manually enteringFROM/TO. Once a route has been initialised manually, the request prompt may disappear by design rather than because the line-select key has failed. - Avoid a competing World Map route. For a clean test, use the Microsoft Flight Simulator World Map only to choose the airport and parking stand. A World Map flight plan is not a SimBrief OFP and does not supply data to INIT REQUEST. Loading a full route in both places can also produce inconsistent ATC and flight-plan results.
- Press the request once and wait. The Fenix models a datalink transaction rather than an instant local paste. Watch the MCDU scratchpad and ATSU messages, and accept or insert the returned plan if your installed build presents that step. Repeatedly pressing the key does not repair a missing dispatch or incorrect account.
- Check what was imported. Confirm the origin, destination, alternate, flight number, cost index and cruise level, then inspect the
F-PLNpage. The uplink does not remove the need to check procedures, discontinuities and performance data. Our step-by-step A320 MCDU programming workflow covers the remaining entries.
What does each INIT REQUEST symptom mean?
The exact symptom usually identifies whether the fault is the MCDU state, SimBrief retrieval or the wider Fenix aircraft.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best next check |
|---|---|---|
INIT REQUEST is missing | You are not on INIT A, or FROM/TO and an active route have already been entered | Use a clean INIT A page, or continue with manual programming |
| The prompt is visible but nothing returns | No freshly generated OFP, incorrect SimBrief identifier, blocked connection or Fenix services still initialising | Test OFP retrieval in the EFB |
| The EFB loads the OFP but the MCDU does not | Stale FMGC state, an aircraft-system fault or an add-on conflict | Retry from a clean aircraft state and test without cockpit-modifying add-ons |
| The route arrives with rejected or missing waypoints | Navdata mismatch or a route that is invalid in the aircraft database | Compare AIRAC data and inspect the route leg by leg |
| Other MCDU keys, displays or the EFB also fail | Power, installation or wider Fenix failure | Troubleshoot the aircraft rather than SimBrief alone |
Should I enter FROM/TO before pressing INIT REQUEST?
No, not when you intend to use the SimBrief uplink. Leave FROM/TO blank on INIT A and press INIT REQUEST first so the returned dispatch can initialise the flight.
Entering the city pair manually is the alternative workflow. Once you do that, complete the route and INIT entries manually; do not treat the missing request prompt as a fault. A common mistake is to type the airports first and then expect the pre-initialisation request to remain available.
Why does the imported Fenix A320 route look wrong?
A successful request can still produce missing waypoints, discontinuities or rejected airways when the dispatch planner and the Fenix aircraft use different AIRAC cycles.
Check the route against the OFP and compare the navdata cycle used by each system. If they differ, follow our Fenix A320 AIRAC update guidance. Updating the aircraft database does not guarantee every old or custom route will remain valid, so review each airway transition and waypoint.
- Select the runway, SID, STAR and approach in the MCDU rather than assuming every procedure was included in the dispatch.
- Do not delete every flight-plan discontinuity automatically. Some mark a genuine break between the route and a procedure and should be resolved only after checking the intended path.
- If a full route was also loaded through the MSFS World Map, remove that variable on the next test. It may not stop INIT REQUEST itself, but it can create duplicate or inconsistent planning data elsewhere in the simulator.
Can I fly without INIT REQUEST?
Yes. INIT REQUEST is a convenience, not a requirement for operating the Fenix A320. Enter FROM/TO, the flight number, cost index and cruise level manually, then build the route through the F-PLN page and complete the performance pages.
If the EFB has the correct OFP but INIT REQUEST alone remains unavailable, manual entry is the quickest workaround. If the EFB, displays, MCDUs or other aircraft systems are also malfunctioning, use our broader Fenix A320 system and installation checks instead of repeatedly regenerating the same flight plan.